I have questions about this flyer sent to us. Are there going to be more answers like how much our taxes will go up?

A decision to incorporate would result in the election of a six Councillors and one Mayor in place of an Electoral Area Director.  The decision would also result in the establishment of a municipal administration with close to 15 staff members across all services.  All of these positions are outlined in the various Service Sheets, including the one on Administration Services. 

The new municipality would be responsible for paying all of the costs associated with the Council and administration.  These costs and the positions they represent, however, would be replacing rather than duplicating existing efforts.  Governance and service delivery responsibilities that would be taken on by the new municipality are responsibilities that today rest with the CSRD Board and staff.  The responsibilities and the costs that go with them would be transferred to the new municipality from the CSRD at the time of incorporation.  Taxpayers of Sorrento-Blind Bay would begin to pay the municipality for the services transferred to the municipality.  At the same, taxpayers would stop paying the CSRD for the services.

The transfer of services to a new municipality would prompt the CSRD to reduce the resources it uses for service delivery in order to ensure that remaining electoral area taxpayers did not face tax increases.  Efforts taken by the CSRD, post-incorporation, to adjust its own costs would be a matter for the CSRD Board to decide.  Such efforts, however, would help to ensure that cost additions to one jurisdiction (i.e., the new municipality) were offset to a large degree by cost reductions in the other jurisdiction (i.e., the CSRD).

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1. If we incorporate, wouldn't we just be adding an extra level of bureaucracy and politicians?
2. If the report has not yet been completed and the meetings are ongoing why is the Regional District Director for Area C approaching businesses and organizations to discuss incorporation? Has the Commit
3. Will the public boat launches be improved and better maintained?
4. Can we confirm that there are "hundreds of acres of available non-[ALR] land within the incorporation boundary" for commercial development?
5. In the event of Incorporation, who specifically (by role), would be in the transition team until a new council is voted into office?
6. Received your mailout today. It is very hard to make any kind of informed decision on the subject without any associated costs and increase in the mil rate. Please send some estimated numbers.
7. I have questions about this flyer sent to us. Are there going to be more answers like how much our taxes will go up?
8. It is very expensive to bring in extra politicians and staff because of all the benefits and the pensions. I understand that politicians receive large pensions. I don't want to pay for those.
9. Are there any communities in BC that have incorporated, only to then decide to return to being unincorporated?
10. With incorporation, wouldn't all of our taxes increase to the point that we would be paying what people do in larger cities?
11. What can we say about demographics in the Incorporation Study Area?
12. This area has a very large retirement community. It would seem you have not taken this into consideration when establishing dates of mid-October for open houses and a possible referendum in late....
13. Why is the boundary for a new municipality different from the boundary for Area C1?
14. At one of the recent meetings it was stated that there would be information sheets outlining the pros and cons of both incorporation and the two-area default. Is that still being planned?
15. There seems to be confusion in the community about the status of referendum. The recent flyer says that the referendum will occur only if the committee recommends to CSRD. Could you clarify?
16. A large number of the higher valued and higher taxed properties in Sorrento (waterfront) are owned by seasonal residents. How are you going to ensure they are included in the determination vote?
17. According to an email that has circulated in Blind Bay there appears to be a meeting on August 18, 2021 at 6:30 at Dream Cycle. Can you confirm if the Committee has sanctioned this meeting?
18. Is there anything that the CSRD, members of the advisory committee or the consultants can do to address misinformation or even 'scare tactics'
19. How many Administration Support staff would be hired to support the Mayor and Council in a new Sorrento-Blind Bay Municipality?